The Colorful Times » Art & Design

Original Gabriel Eklou Painting for Auction: The Lady and The Wind

Staff — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:32:30 +0000

Gabriel Eklou was born in 1966 in Accra, Ghana, West Africa, but spent most of his childhood in Togo. His schooling took place in Togo, Benin and Ghana. As a trained accountant he worked in the travel industry but, in 1996, he followed his passion and gift and became a full-time painter.

As his art developed he began using larger canvases and found that they gave him the scope he needed to portray his main interests – the symbolic interpretation of community life.

Signed, framed original, acrylics on canvas, 100 x 105cm.

The Lady and the Wind (featured) captures the essence of Gabriel’s light and graceful expressionism. His signature figures, elongated, tapered and elegant, speak a body language that is understood all over the world. With economy, Gabriel conveys the inner energy in an impending gesture. Whether dynamic or in repose, his people reside in a timeless landscape of calm earth tones.

This talented and passionate African artist has kept a steady pace since 1996, exhibiting three or four times a year. His art can be found in corporate and private collections in Ghana, West Africa, Togo, Germany, England, Denmark, Belgium, the USA, Japan and Canada.

Bid on eBay for The Lady and The Wind or contact us to buy it privately.

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Portraits of Eve: Women of Color Share Their Body/Soul Conversations

Paul Boakye — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:23:55 +0000

I love photography. Love seeing ‘people of colour’ captured in strong black and white images. Love fearless form and clarity in pictures. Love perfect composition, and seeing thinking outside of the box, photographically speaking, I mean.

I want to see dark-skinned people pictured using impeccable lighting—all shades, shadows and textures lifted in near 3D tone and quality—just as it was once said could never be achieved with black skin in photography. So when I was offered the chance to download and review an electronic copy of Herb Way’s book, Portraits of Eve: Women of Color Share Their Body/Soul Conversations, I was terribly excited.

I have always been comfortable with my body. Being adopted by an Italian family got me used to being different and I grew up with the belief that it was a wonderful thing.

I’ve never met Herb Way. I know little about him or his work, except what can be found on his Facebook profile. I therefore had no concept of what to expect from his first book of photographic images. But as I flipped through its pages, and read the personal statements accompanying each photograph, I was surprised by the number of women who spoke of their bodies in terms of ‘scars.’ They had been scarred by pregnancy, hormones, stress, diet or illness, many said, or they talked of a need for breast-reduction, as opposed to the normal breast-enlargement that figure so prominently in most male fantasies.

I was immediately drawn to these personal stories, and struck by how much the human body is still just a vessel. Here were women of all ages, shapes, sizes, and shades, revealing and revelling in their nudity for all the world to see. Whereas we are normally encouraged to think of naked female forms as purely sexual objects, particularly in this porn-obsessed Internet age, there was something very different going on here.

One woman spoke of how her scarring had been diminished by the still athletic parts of her body—which she liked, worked on and emphasised—whilst masking those areas that troubled her most. Another was unhappy with an extremely thin frame from childhood but masked her pain with a long synthetic wig that seemed to suggest other issues. Having both positive and negative body parts that were still considered part of each woman’s overall beauty was a recurring theme in many of the personal testimonies.

I try not to place too much emphasis on appearances. I believe that the spirit is much more relevant.

Among the male friends I showed this book, many commented on one or two images in particular. “Why were some of the good-looking model-types covered up,” when they at least should be used to being photographed or looked at, and presumably, more comfortable showing their flesh in public? I didn’t see it quite that way. It left me thinking about how difficult it must be for some models and ordinary women too in our society; constantly having people critiquing your body, your looks, in a way that most men are never subjected to and would never voluntarily undergo. Of course, men self-critique, but if our perception of self were based largely on our external appearance, most men I know, and certainly many of those in positions of power, would have no self-esteem at all.

With the women featured in this book, there was little direct discussion on how their body image may have been influenced by the men in their lives. These personal stories centred instead on structural, social or cultural influences, and the women’s own perceptions of themselves. Many cited the act of being photographed nude for this 144-page volume as part of their ongoing process of healing.

Every roll, dimple, and scar...is a marker of my life...wonderful nights with my lover, late night ice cream parties with my friends, and the birth of my children.

In this sense, Portraits of Eve has very little to do with the male gaze. For in our society where female nudity is most often about male pleasure, male power and the objectification of women, Herb Way’s book is a brave and enlightening departure from the norm. Yet ‘brave’ is perhaps the wrong word, but ‘empowered,’ which is so much more useful for millions of ordinary women such as those featured here.

Also of note was how the various women self-identified: African American, Native American, Korean, Trinidadian/Italian, Filipino, Brazilian, and so on. My sincere thanks to Herb Way for an opportunity to appreciate the loving and wonderful work that has gone into the preparation of Portraits of Eve: Women of Color Share Their Body/Soul Conversations, and especially to the women themselves for making public the intimate and private photographic sessions that he has so tenderly recorded with them. Herb Way and his camera love real women, just like these women have grown to love themselves.

The self-published, 144-page book, Portraits of Eve: Women of Color Share Their Body/Soul Conversations, containing 120 photographs of semi-nude and nude images of sixty women will be available from September 2010. Production costs are being offset by sales of the e-book version and by advanced sales of the hard copy edition at a special pre-publication price.

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Shani Greene-Dowdell’s Keeping It Tight (Reviewed)

Victor Odoi’s Fishermen and Market Scenes

Paul Boakye — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:08:31 +0000

Acclaimed as the pre-eminent neo-impressionist in his native Ghana, Victor Odoi’s oil paintings evoke the fishing villages and market scenes along the coast of Accra, the capital city.

At Work (II) by Victor-Odoi | Acrylics on Card (50 x 38cm)

Odoi’s world is peopled by strong and energetic fishermen who sail the turbulent seas in search of the daily catch to sell at market where they go to conduct brisk business and to fraternize. It is a world of rough seas and strong blues, reds and yellows as fresh and colourful as the tuna, squid, sea bream and snappers that his fishermen catch.

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Painter Larry Otoo: A Contemporary Traditionalist

Paul Boakye — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:26:08 +0000

“I like and love to paint, to translate my inner perceptions into reality… use colour so liberally so that I can be happy with what I create.”

Mellow Mood by Larry Otoo
Acrylics on Canvas 81 X 69cm

Larry Otoo attended the College of Art at Kwame Nkrumah University where he attained an MA in African Art and Comparative Literature in 1981. His themes express the relationship between Western and African art, and he refers to himself as “a contemporary traditionalist” since much of work is inspired by the familiar daily activities of Ghanaian life.

Having exhibited widely and regularly since 1978, Larry is one of the best-known and most successful artists in Ghana today. “Each time I pick up the brush to paint,” he says, “I have a strong feeling that an obligation has been placed upon me to record and preserve our traditions visually.”

Otoo paints in oils and acrylics and does portraits in pastels. He is a master colourist with a strong sense of surface effect and rhythm. His subjects include groups of traditional drummers, dancers, crowds, market scenes, and so on. He is described as “courageous in his experimentation,” and his canvases varying considerably.

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The Fishy Art of Kobina Nyarko

Paul Boakye — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:57:06 +0000

“I have explored several mediums, styles and themes. Specific interest in the subject FISHES, which my love revolves around.”

Kobina Nyarko is one of Ghana’s premier young contemporary artists. Born in Takoradi, Ghana, in 1972, much of Nyarko’s recent work explores the symbolism of fish in paintings that feature numerous tiny fish on often large-scale canvases.

Fun Around by Kobina Nyarko
Acrylics (egshell-on-card) 33 x 26cm

This “trademark” theme makes his work easy to recognize. The swirling, mesmerizing schools of fish captivate all of Nyarko’s viewers and collectors.

Nyarko was formally trained at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He graduated in 2003 with a BA in Industrial Art.

In May 2007, Kobina Nyarko was featured in an exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Man, Artists Speak: Contemporary art from Ghana and Zimbabwe. His work is considered illustrative of 3rd generation Ghanaian artists, who freely express themselves as artists in a modern world, without succumbing to restrictive notions of African art.

Kobina Nyarko currently lives in Takoradi with his wife and son.

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Madhumati: in Search of the Source of Hope

Paul Boakye — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:58:45 +0000

“In art, I have found my way… and in this way I am lost, for in losing myself, I have found bewilderment and wonder.”

Born in India, Madhumati is a highly accomplished artist and musician. She graduated with a first class degree in Fine Art from Visva Bharati University, Santinikentan, in 1998. Her work is now collected around the world.

Perhaps art critic Swapan Mullick gets closest to the heart of Madhumati’s work when he writes:

Autumn 4 | Oils on Canvas

“If music is a return to roots… Madhumati does the same with her series of paintings. The constant search for light as the source of hope gives her work a romantic tone and texture. But what stands out most of all is the sense of nostalgia for the environment.”

Before moving to the UK, Madhumati exhibited at a number of very successful solo shows in India. She has been involved in several UK shows, including ArtSpace Galleries in London’s Mayfair. She also returned to India for two triumphant exhibitions, in Mumbai (2008) and Kolkata (2009).

“I try to catch the movement and flow of life… glimpses of light and shadow, combining the forces of colour and movement, light and darkness, to conjure atmosphere and imagery. I twist realistic impressions and create effects verging on the abstract, whilst maintaining a few essential details.”

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The Magic Illusion of Peter (Ghose) Ngugi

Paul Boakye — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 14:53:19 +0000

“Magic and illusion is a major influence in my work. My aim is to perform magic on canvas, so that every time you look at the painting you see something new.”

Ghose, as Peter Ngugi is popularly known, was born in Thika in Kenya. Although he has continued to live in his native country, he is becoming increasing well-known outside of Kenya for his unique style, which he describes as “a fusion of surreal and contemporary art.”

Cow and Calf by Ghose
Oil on Canvas (52 x 52cm)

“Through my window, I can see the majestic Chania River bordered by flame trees and the blooming purple jacaranda. Near this riverbank is a small town full of colour and intrigue, where, with no physical boundaries set, man and beast have learned to co-exist. The river is a tranquil sanctuary, to not only the great hippo, but also serving as a source of life for the town’s inhabitants. From the colours of tiny flowers within the grass to the unmistakable call of the weaverbird, this land is a great source of inspiration for my art.

I have experimented extensively with oil colours on canvas. The slow-drying nature of the medium allows me to create a fingerprint effect through whorl-like lines etched on the canvas. My animal paintings are inspired by native Kenyan animals…”

Peter (Ghose) Ngugi’s forays abroad include a recent stint at the University of Kentucky as artist in residence in 2008. He has been involved in several major exhibitions including being featured in Off the Main, New York City, an art fair showcasing contemporary African, Caribbean and Latin American Art. The first show of its kind, Off the Main was staged during Hispanic Heritage Month, with over forty international exhibitors.

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Three Painters: Robert Aryeetey, Gabriel Eklou and Stephen Gwoktcho

Paul Boakye — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 10:46:01 +0000

Robert Aryeetey was selected by the Ghana government to produce a specially commissioned work presented to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

In his most recent exhibitions, Robert presents paintings interspersed with spray-like effects, huts, baobab trees and geometric figures painted in cool colours that evoke the mystery of Ghana’s northern region and the Savannah landscape.

Interested in the architecture of the old parts of Accra, Aryeetey has produced a series of paintings depicting the changing city of his home with Zongo Lane (Old City) being a prime example. And yet, Robert Aryeetey feels able to express his artistry with many different techniques, unimpeded by prejudice in any form.

Gabriel Eklou (Ghana)

“I started painting as a child. Then, as now, I discovered an inexplicable inner force that demanded outward expression.”

Gabriel Eklou is a prolific, self-taught, painter whose symbolic landscapes have been exhibited worldwide and can now be found in private and corporate collections.

His style is characterised by subdivided fields with diverse shades of pastels, alongside muted colours that appear secondary to his compositions. He often creates symbolic landscapes, comprising scenes that depict extremely exaggerated figures, all recalling images of Ghanaian folklore. The effect is a kind of empathy, while taking viewers out of their everyday reality and into Eklou’s hyper-reality. Undeniably, he has an uncanny ability to manipulate colours with ease.

Although principally resident in Ghana, Eklou works regularly in Canada where he has established The Motherland Studio. He has kept a steady pace of exhibitions since 1996, which has included shows in Lome, Munich, London, Copenhagen, Accra and Kumasi.

Stephen Gwoktcho (Uganda)

“They call me ‘the ultimate Independence Kid,’ born at midnight on 9th October 1962, just as the Union Jack was lowered and Uganda’s flag was raised.”

Stephen is a renowned portrait artist, a realist, using abstract techniques. Striking colours and sensitive lines characterize his works, which make use of both watercolours and oil on canvas.

Artist of the month at Alliance Française de Kampala on several occasions, Stephen Gwoktcho has enjoyed a succession of solo exhibitions at the AFRIKART Gallery in Kampala since March 2005. Gwoktcho branched out internationally three years ago in New York City, courtesy of the Ugandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was among four East African artists whose work was exhibited in India at the TAC Art Gallery, Rajguru Nagar.

One of Stephen’s proudest achievements has been using his art to transform a former cinema into the Kampala Pentecostal Church.

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Kofi Agorsor Rocking the Boat

Paul Boakye — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 18:20:29 +0000

He is one of most promising young artists and musicians in Ghana today. Where other West African painters can remain trapped by cultural baggage, Kofi Agorsor is never weighed down.

Indecent by Kofi Agorsor
Acrylics on Canvas

Agorsor actually sets out to upset preconceptions and trigger thought, exploring traditional themes through a colourful language that borders on the abstract, while enhancing the effect with subtle touches of irony and musical inspiration.

Agorsor’s talent is vigorous and original. He enjoys rocking the boat. His earlier works frequently showed the energy of the fishing haul and the friction of dance. Never a static observer, Agorsor strives to push his own vigorous, explosive presence into what he sees. His youthful confidence suggests a bold future.

You can almost hear the jazz rhythms that Kofi Agorsor so loves to create with his own band. A veteran of numerous solo and group exhibitions around the world, when not painting, Agorsor works on his pineapple plantation in Ghana’s Volta region where he was born. He is father to four adopted children.

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Portrait of Adholla

Paul Boakye — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:23:12 +0000

“You will notice the use of cowrie shells and tree bark as well as tiny wooden masks in my paintings. I like to use local materials in my art.”

Rojazz (Rogers) is a young man with an amazing talent. He was born in Kampala and graduated in Fine Art from the Margaret Trowell School of Art, Makerele University, Kampala, Uganda.

In the relatively short time, his work has been exhibited in Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom. His most recent exhibition was at the University of Copenhagen in May 2009.

Rojazz works in oils as well as inks with which he produces a surprisingly wide range of graphic art. His work shows a confident and expert hand in the mixing of ideas and materials and the ease with which his thoughts translate onto large canvases.

He cites the source of his inspiration as his “Afrikan Heritage.”

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